This year’s crop of NFL draft aspirants doesn’t quite shine with quarterback talent like last year’s did. There’s no one in this bunch who matches the raw talent of Caleb Williams, nor does anyone stand out for an immediate and profound impact like Jayden Daniels.
However, Shedeur Sanders from the University of Colorado is a name on everyone’s lips. He’s a bit of an enigma, with people divided on whether he’ll soar to stardom or falter early. Tim Hasselbeck chimed in on this conversation, sharing his insights on ESPN’s “NFL Live.” He believes Sanders doesn’t have extraordinary physical prowess but finds his skills comparable to someone like Andy Dalton, which he insists is a fair comparison and not meant to slight Sanders in any way.
Andy Dalton, for those who’ve followed his career, is known for being solid and steady, if not particularly flashy, in the NFL. Over his first six seasons, Dalton made it to the Pro Bowl three times and exceeded 4,200 passing yards on two occasions. With an accumulative 39,500 passing yards and 253 touchdowns in 175 games across 14 seasons, Dalton’s legacy is one of consistent reliability. Even though he hasn’t been a team’s main starter recently, he stepped up admirably last year. When the Carolina Panthers decided to bench Bryce Young, Dalton threw for 989 yards, seven touchdowns, and recorded six interceptions, effectively completing 66.3 percent of his passes over six games.
Turning back to Sanders, his last season at Colorado was quite impressive, tallying 4,134 passing yards with 37 touchdowns. While he might not boast elite size or speed, his precision and efficiency set him apart. Sanders completed 74 percent of his passes in 2024, concluding his college career with a solid 70.1 percent completion rate.
Coming up next, Andy Dalton shares his reasons for sticking with the Panthers, a continuation of this narrative of consistent quarterback performance.
